A Raven's Struggle pt2
by superwholock1
Summary: The long-awaited second part of A Raven"s Struggle! Ciel and Sebastian are slowly getting used to being a family again, but with Mey-Rin in the picture now, Sebastian is finding it difficult to care for the both of them. A story about how they deal with the struggle of domesticity!
1. Chapter 1

"Ciel wake up, it's 8:30." Sebastian was doing his best to whisper. Ciel groaned and rolled over. He stretched and then sat up.

"Good morning Sebastian." He said tiredly.

Sebastian smiled and smoothed the boy's bed hair back. Before he could say another word, Mey-rin's shrill cries came from Sebastian's room. Ciel saw the way Sebastian sighed and looked exhausted at the sound of her crying. It's been about two weeks since she was born, and two weeks since he's seen Grell. Well, it's a bit of an exaggeration, but after the first two nights he's seen less and less of the redhead. He felt terribly for Sebastian because he knows that the man was tired, despite being a demon. He refused to let Ciel help him, because that wasn't his responsibility.

Sebastian's eyes looked watery, but Ciel was not alert enough to be certain. What he was certain of was the fact that Sebastian needed a break.

"She must be hungry again. Go downstairs and I'll be there soon."

"Do you want me to make the bottle at least?"

"No Ciel, I'll handle it." With that he rushed over to his room and Ciel went downstairs. He waited for no longer than ten minutes, Sebastian came down the stairs with Mey-Rin in the sling that Grell bought. He bottle-fed her while cooking Ciel's food at the same time. Sebastian only made pancakes with eggs and bacon. It wasn't until he set the plate down that he gasped. "I should have asked what you wanted first, oh dear, I forgot."

"It's fine." He ate a piece of the bacon and then went to the cabinets to make tea. Sebastian looked over at Ciel and said, "Let me make it."

Ciel held his hand up and finished filling the electric kettle. "Sebastian, it's alright."

Sebastian looked defeated but let Ciel make the tea. "I'm sorry."

While he waited for the water to boil he took a seat and began eating his food. Sebastian hummed softly to help settle the restless newborn. He placed the bottle on the table and the only sounds that remained was his humming and the silverware clinking against the plate. After he was sure Mey-Rin was asleep again, he spoke lowly.

"I was certain that she was going to remain asleep."

"Where's Grell?"

Sebastian's face fell at the question. The kettle shut off and he whispered, "I think your water is done."

Ciel wiped his face with the napkin and raised an eyebrow. "Sebastian…"

"Grell is a Grim Reaper, Ciel. His schedule is unpredictable, we've no idea to when he will be called in or given overtime."

"I haven't seen him since you came back from the hospital."

Sebastian looked down at Mey-Rin and smiled. Ciel got up to pour the water into his mug. Sebastian yawned and rubbed at his eyes. Ciel wondered when was the last time Sebastian got a full night's rest, or any rest for that matter.

"Do you want tea at least?"

"I'm afraid it won't taste very good. The only time I really eat or drink is when…well you know."

Ciel took his seat and placed the teabag in the mug to steep.

"Hopefully she'll stay asleep for at least two more hours. I could use a nap myself."

"On that we can both agree."

They spent the rest of the morning like that. Ciel returned to his room and listened for the rest of the day to Sebastian's groans whenever Mey-Rin cried. For a moment, Ciel could have sworn that Sebastian fell asleep, it took a while before he responded to her. Each time she cried, Sebastian sounded more and more tired and Ciel couldn't help but get angry at Grell for putting him through this.

Grell returned after dinner. Ciel, Sebastian and Mey-Rin were still at the table. He sauntered into the kitchen and smiled widely. "Look, the gang's all here!"

Ciel looked up at him but said nothing, Sebastian looked completely dazed.

"Bassy! I'm home!"

Sebastian responded long after Grell said that. "I'm…I apologize, there's dinner in the microwave for you."

Grell looked confused at Sebastian's response, he usually tried to seem happy at seeing him. Grell made his way over to the microwave and pulled his plate out. He took his seat in between Sebastian and Ciel and started to eat. Sebastian pushed his chair back and positioned Mey-Rin in his arms. He got up and looked to the two sitting at the table and bid them goodnight.

"I just…I need at least an hour."

After he was gone, Grell looked over at Ciel and said, "Is Bassy okay?"

Ciel swallowed his meatloaf and replied, "He has been up all day with my sister, I would imagine he's exhausted."

"Why haven't you helped him?"

"I tried, he refuses to let me. He says it's not my responsibility. I think that he would not turn down your offer of help. That is, if you're here long enough."

He cleared his plate and left the kitchen, leaving Grell alone.

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 **HEY GUYS, LONG TIME NO SEE! I'm going to post this and see if it's worth updating, so review, fav if you like. Just let me know if I should continue this**


	2. Chapter 2

Ciel had been sitting in his bed for what seemed like eons. He didn't understand why Sebastian didn't come to wake him as he normally did, but he soon remembered when he heard the cries of his sister from down the hall. He sighed and pulled the blanket over his head. It was the weekend, so maybe Sebastian let him sleep in, or he was so busy with Mey-Rin that he forgot. The first thought seemed more probable and Ciel didn't want to think about the second one. He started to become worried about Sebastian ever since the ordeal with Claude. A month after everything happened, and Ciel became used to living with Sebastian again, he regretted the fact that he was not raised by him and not Claude. He was incensed when Sebastian finally told him the tale of his kidnapping and how he searched for him for years. He wondered how different he would have been had Sebastian as a father. Ciel had concluded after reuniting with him that Sebastian loved him dearly, and he loved Mey-Rin just as much. Maybe it had something to do with Grell hardly being around after her birth, but there was always that tone of undying love that Sebastian had while he soothed the newborn to sleep.

Ciel had been wrong about Sebastian.

And now here they were, with Ciel trying to divert his attention away from the high-pitched screams of his baby sister and the fact that Sebastian might not be okay. Eventually Sebastian's soft shushes were the only sounds coming from his room and Ciel exhaled. Good, the house would be quiet for another two hours. Then he wondered if Sebastian was tired. A demon he was, but even his had to be taking some toll on him.

"Are you really going to work now? I'm going to the shop today to buy groceries and I honestly don't think I'll be able to handle her outside. We've not taken her out, have we?"

Grell was still here, although not for long, judging by the conversation. Ciel wanted to know if Grell could hear the fatigue in Sebastian's voice or if he was ignoring it by choice. Ciel wanted to know why Sebastian accepted that date in the first place, why he let it get so far as to result in a child. He would have to ask Sebastian once Grell leaves.

"We haven't been outside with her since she was born, Bassy. Perhaps taking her with you will do her some good. Perhaps both of you leaving the house will do some good."

"I don't have much reason to go outdoors, Grell. Ciel will not be starting school for some time, and she's so colicky, Ciel was not like this when he was a baby."

"Because you took Ciel outside almost every day."

Ciel waited for Sebastian to respond, but nothing else was said. A minute passed before Grell said, "Go outside, take Mey-Rin with you to the shops. Trust me, Bassy, you've become something of a shut-in these days. Fresh air won't hurt and I must be off now."

Ciel's brows furrowed and he nearly popped out of the bed to defend Sebastian. He's been a shut-in because he needs help with the baby. He managed to restrain himself, maybe Grell meant well by that rather ignorant statement. He heard Grell give Sebastian a kiss, he was always loud when it came to doing anything "intimate" with him, much to Ciel's dismay.

"Goodbye my darling girl!"

His voice was closer when he shouted, "Ta-ta Ciel!"

Ciel rolled his eyes at the sound of his voice. He heard the front door close and waited a few more minutes before he rose from his comfortable position in bed. He used the bathroom and walked into Sebastian's room. Sebastian was standing next to Mey-Rin's crib, with his back to his son, watching the sleeping infant with a distant look.

"Good morning, Sebastian."

Sebastian turned around his eyes widened at the sight of his son standing in the doorway.

"…I forgot to wake you, how forgetful of me."

Ciel wished that he missed the sadness that lingered in Sebastian's voice. His eyes looked as alert as ever but he looked distracted, tired, melancholic. He shook his head. "It's no bother really, it is Saturday."

"It is, isn't it? Ah, I'm afraid I've lost track of the days." Ciel's brow rose. "It is of no matter now, what do you want for breakfast?"

Ciel had been craving Nutella crepes for some time, but he felt guilty asking Sebastian to even make that for him. He supposed that he could hold off for one more day.

"What cereal do we have?"

"Cereal? Ciel, I can make you breakfast, there is no need for you to eat cereal."

"I know, I just feel like eating cereal is all."

Sebastian's hands were held tight against each other and there was a look of apprehensiveness when Ciel spoke. However, Ciel couldn't help but hear the relief in his father's voice when he opted for cereal. Sebastian gave Mey-Rin one last check before following Ciel down the stairs and into the kitchen. Ciel saw Sebastian sink into the chair as he rummaged through the cabinets for a bowl and the cereal. He found a bowl and decided on Lucky Charms. After he fixed his bowl he sat across from Sebastian and ate quietly. Usually, Sebastian would think of a topic of conversation first, it was something that he tried to initiate as much as possible after they were free of Claude. Still he sat and said nothing. He wasn't even looking at Ciel, he had his face in his hands and would remove them every so often as if Mey-Rin were a timer that would ring at any moment. It wasn't until after Ciel washed his dishes that Sebastian said gently, "I have to make a run to the shops today, would you care to join me?"

"Where is Grell?"

"At his second home." Sebastian breathed. "I've no one to watch the baby so I must bring her with me."

Ciel turned his back to the kitchen sink to face his father. Sebastian picked up a piece of lint from the table and tossed it to the floor. "Grell believes that fresh air will do us good, and that I've become something of a recluse." He attempted to make light of an offensive comment, but he was weary and he sounded hurt.

"But you do not have to come with me if you don't want to. I won't be gone long."

"I'll come."

Sebastian's posture straightened and he tried to fight the feeling of gratefulness.

"We'll be off at around noon, to avoid the evening crowd."

"Sounds like a plan."

The conversation died down, but Sebastian looked like there was something he wanted to say. He kept it to himself and rose from the chair. "I'm going to make the list now, is there anything you want?"

"How are we on Nutella?"

"I'll buy another jar. You could have told me that you wanted Nutella crepes, Ciel." It wasn't a reprimand, Sebastian hardly ever did that, it sounded like exasperation.

"You had your hands full with Mey-Rin." It wasn't the whole reason, but Sebastian knew Ciel, and he smiled.

"I see."

That was all that was said for the morning.

When they went to the supermarket, Mey-Rin was wide-awake but she was thankfully in a good mood. She babbled and gurgled as Sebastian carted around in the supermarket. Ciel walked beside him patiently, grabbing the items off the list as Sebastian called them out. After about twenty minutes of shopping, Mey-Rin started to get fussy, which meant that they had to hurry and finish the list because there is nothing people hate more than a crying newborn. Ciel was sent to fetch the eggs and the milk while Sebastian picked up flour and sugar, all the while trying to hush the brewing cries of his week-old daughter.

"It's alright my love, we'll be done soon." He whispered to her. He found the flour he needed, and mixed with Mey-Rin's agitation, he failed to see the other shopper in front of him. Their carts clashed together, Sebastian immediately looked up at the shopper he crashed into. The man had nice brown skin, eyes that were slate and grey. The most notable thing about the man was his shockingly white hair. The man smiled kindly at Sebastian, something he was unused to. The man placed his right hand on his chest and bent forward a little.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to bump into you." In a rich Indian accent.

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 **R &R Please!**


	3. Chapter 3

Sebastian stared at the white-haired man in front of him. He apologized for hitting Sebastian with his shopping cart when it was Sebastian who was being careless. The man was at a loss for words, which was a rare sight indeed.

"No, it is not your fault, I was distracted."

The stranger tilted his head with that smile plastered on his face. His grey eyes flickered down to the car seat that held Mey-Rin. Before anyone could speak, Mey-Rin started to cry and loudly. Sebastian could already feel the eyes of the other shoppers in the area and their scowls as she wailed for milk.

"I am terribly sorry, she's hungry and I was trying to get as much as I could before this happened." He laid his hand on her stomach and rubbed gently as he tried to shush her. There were murmurs from the few shoppers around him, clearly voicing their anger at the newborn.

"What is her name?"

Sebastian looked up at the man.

"Mey-Rin."

"What a beautiful name."

"Thank you." Sebastian resumed his soft coos to silence her, but it wasn't working. He could feel everyone's eyes on him, and he wanted to leave the supermarket, tell Ciel to leave the groceries he had and go back home. Every time she cried he felt useless. Ciel never cried so much, what was he doing wrong with her?

"Give me your list and I'll be happy to finish your shopping for you while you tend to your baby girl."

"Oh well that is a very generous of you, Mr…"

"Agni. Pleasure to meet you…"

"Sebastian."

"A pleasure, Agni. But I don't think you'll have to do that, I only have a few more items before I…"

Ciel showed up with the milk and eggs and placed them inside of the shopping cart. He looked up at Sebastian and said, "She's hungry?"

Sebastian nodded and moved to pick her up from her seat. He bounced as he rubbed her back. This wouldn't work, he knew that, she was never satisfied. She cried when she was angry, she cried when she was full, all she ever did was cry and Sebastian hated to hear her in such a state of distress.

"I think it's time for us to be off now, Ciel. I'll come back later to get the rest of the items." He really wanted to tell Ciel that he wanted to go home because he was embarrassed. He couldn't stop his baby from crying in a public area, he wanted to be away from all the eyes, from Agni. He should have sent Grell to the shop after his shift. He knew he wouldn't be able to handle her outside.

"If you will allow me, Mr. Sebastian." Agni gently took Mey-Rin from his arms, leaving the demon too confused to react. The Indian then began to rock her gently, and rub her with his right hand. Immediately, she stopped crying. Her face was no longer red and puffy from crying, the tears dried on her face. She looked as if she were never troubled. Agni looked down at the newborn and smiled. He carefully handed her back down to Sebastian, who then transferred her to the car seat. She was awake, but she looked content. She looked happy and that almost sent a tear down Sebastian's face.

"There, she will be okay for a little while, I hope this will be long enough for you to continue shopping. Of course, the option still stands for me to help."

Ciel looked up at Sebastian, who shook his head. "No, that's alright, you did enough, thank you Agni." He took the shopping cart and walked away, leaving Agni dumbfounded and frowning. After they left the aisle, Sebastian gave Ciel the rest of the list and told him to return to the front of the store when he was done. Once he was sure Ciel was out of sight, his eyes flew to Mey-Rin, who was staring up at him with big glassy eyes and nothing else. That smile that she wore with Agni was gone as soon as it appeared. Sebastian's heart broke. Why was a stranger able to make her happier than he could?

"What am I doing wrong, my love? You do not smile for me."

Being an infant, she could not respond, he sighed and ran a hand over her cheek. Ciel returned with the rest of the items in a basket and they made their way to the check-out aisle. Thankfully they were next in line so it did not take long for them to wait. When they got home, Sebastian held Mey-Rin in one arm, while carrying two of the bags in his other hand. Ciel carried the other three but they were light so he hadn't much trouble with them.

"You can drop the bags here Ciel. I'll get to them after I feed her and put her to sleep."

"I'll put the cold items away."

"You don't have to do that."

"I know, but we can't have spoiled milk, can we?"

Sebastian frowned and returned to soothing Mey-Rin. He put her in her crib and hummed a soft lullaby as he prepared the bottle for her. When it was ready he returned to the crib and took her out. He took a seat and fed her while rocking her gently. He couldn't help but think about Agni. He was a charming, handsome man, of that he could admit, but what wouldn't leave his mind was how he could silence Mey-Rin in less than a minute. Mey-Rin was his baby, not Agni's. Agni didn't give birth to her, or spend countless nights since her birth learning how to love her. Where to kiss her, and tickle her so that she would laugh. Agni wasn't her parent, he wasn't Sebastian, yet she looked happier to be in his arms.

"Why can't I make you happy, Mey-Rin? What was it that Agni did that made you smile? Why is it you only cry and hurt and upset yourself when you're around me?"

Sebastian felt a single tear roll down his face as he asked her, "Why is that I can't love you like I'm supposed to?"

He pressed a kiss to her soft forehead and said, "I love you my darling girl, I am trying to love you as much as I love your brother. But every time you cry I feel so powerless and defeated because I can't make you happy. I only want to make you happy."

She finished her bottle and he moved to sit her up to burp her. Unknown to Sebastian, Ciel heard everything.


	4. Chapter 4

Ciel was unsure of what to do after he heard Sebastian say those things to his sister. It was obvious that Sebastian loved her dearly, just as he loved Ciel, but the fact that he was constantly left alone to take care of the house, a newborn, and himself. Grell was always off to work, and Ciel understood that being a Grim Reaper was busy work, but that was why there were more than one of them, and it wasn't as if Grell reaped the souls he was supposed to. So, what was he doing really? What was it that he found better than helping Sebastian raise the baby that he also parented? Ciel knows that Grell had an issue with remaining faithful to his father before. He didn't want to resort to such a way of thinking but maybe…maybe Grell found somebody else to occupy his time while Sebastian practically slaved away. The very thought of the reaper doing that incensed him. What exactly was his father lacking when it came to his relationship with Grell? He gave him a second chance when he had absolutely no reason to, and he had just given birth two weeks ago. It was unfair for Grell to assume that Sebastian would be back to normal after such a short amount of time, even if he wasn't human.

Ciel heard Mey-Rin's soft burp and Sebastian's humming. She was quiet, but he knew that he was fooling himself by thinking that she would stay quiet for longer than an hour. Sebastian sighed loudly and sank to his bed. Ciel could only imagine how he felt right now. It was embarrassing to be the object of people's anger, especially when a stranger managed to handle your baby better than you can. Agni was his name. It struck Ciel that he bumped into another Indian man when he was getting the milk and eggs. Much younger than Agni was, and he had long purplish hair. He was kind of annoying, he poked fun at Ciel for being so short for his age, and then patronized him by grabbing the milk off the highest shelf when it was completely unnecessary.

"I hope to see you soon, kid!" His voice full of laughter as he walked away. What was his name? He said it when he grabbed the milk but Ciel was too frustrated to listen to what he was saying.

"What was it…Toma…Boma…Roma…"

Ah. He got it.

"Soma. That's right. Perhaps he and Agni know each other?"

He was lost in thought when he heard the classic two knocks at the door. It was Sebastian, he opened the door already and was staring down at his son with a tired smile. Ciel wished that he would take these moments of quiet to sleep or rest at least, but he would tell him that sleep was something that demons didn't need to worry about.

"Are you ready for lunch?"

He was tempted to say that he wasn't hungry, but Sebastian would fret over him and still make something.

"A simple sandwich will do."

"Alright, come downstairs and I'll make it for you."

As Ciel was making his way downstairs he saw Sebastian stop off at his sister's crib one more time before joining him downstairs. When he got to the kitchen he started taking out the ingredients for peanut butter and jelly.

"I apologize if I might have embarrassed you today at the shop. I warned Grell that she wasn't ready to be outside for so long and he didn't want to listen to me."

"It's alright, really. You had to go anyway and I doubt Grell would be here long enough for you to go alone."

Sebastian looked sad again and Ciel was sorry that he said that.

"Yes, I suppose you're right. I don't want you to be alone with her. She isn't your responsibility."

"She's not my responsibility, but I want…I want to help you." Ciel had voiced his thoughts aloud and his cheeks burned a bright red at that. He had hoped Sebastian would have just accepted his help, but his father was stubborn, and he wanted Ciel to feel comfortable and happy, especially when the boy had not been when they were first reunited.

Sebastian had just stared up at his son with wide eyes.

"My…it appears you have grown since you came back. I appreciate the thought, truly Ciel, but if I have to rely on the help of my son then what kind of father would I be?"

"A normal one…actually now that I think about it, quite beyond that. You carried her and it hasn't even been a month since she's been born. I also remember the doctor telling you that you needed at least a week of bedrest and you haven't even gotten so much as a night of rest since you left hospital."

Sebastian looked down, unhappy with the conversation he's having with his son of all people. He smiled sadly and said, "You know these are words I wanted to hear Grell say…believe me, I would enjoy nothing more than to get at least a few hours to myself, but I can't do that. I have to take care of you both, Ciel. You're my children and at the moment, I only serve to see that you two are happy. Besides, I don't necessarily require sleep-"

"You're a demon yes I know, but you told me that it is considered a luxury. Wouldn't this also be considered as such?"

Sebastian fell silent. Ciel could tell that this discussion was distressing him, and he didn't need anymore stress. He only sighed and picked up his sandwich.

"Maybe if we go back to the shops, we might meet Mr. Agni again."

Sebastian scowled at the name.

"I hope I never see him again. He made a fool out of me. How could he have handled Mey-Rin better than me? He had even tried to do the rest of my shopping for me, the absolute gall."

Ciel shrugged and took a bite.

"I've already said my piece. I think you should let Mr. Agni help, if you come across his path again. You could use the extra support."

"It troubles me to think that I would need to rely on a stranger to help me, it is not a pleasant thought."

"It'll be good."

Mey-Rin started fussing and Sebastian visibly deflated and muttered an apology as he went to tend to his baby, leaving Ciel alone downstairs.

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 **Two years and this story is still relevant in my mind, lol. I had this written for a long time and never posted it. I've been reading a lot of BB fanfiction this summer and so I decided to revisit this story since I had a lot planned for it.**

 **That being said, I'm mainly posting this for my own enjoyment and I would like to get my plot bunnies out of my system, Sebastian is going to be OOC, and Ciel might be too. If you like it, awesome! If you don't, hey man there are plenty of other BB fics out there for you to read and enjoy.**


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